Revelations
by Devils'Darling
Summary: Emily's secret comes out a key player, and she finds herself getting more emotionally involved as well as recalculating her plans. Set starting from 1x19 "Absolution."
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Snow swirled in the air around her, dusting the rose she held as she pushed through the wrought iron gate. Emily's leather gloved hands shook in anticipation, her footsteps crunching in the fresh fallen snow, guiding her through the cemetery. She came every year, on David's birthday, to lay a single rose on his forgotten headstone. As she approached the gray concrete slab, the flower caught her eye. A rose, redder than her own, covered his name on the grave, just like last year. And the year before. And every prior one for the 8 years since he'd died and she'd been released from Juvie. It didn't take a rocket scientist, or rather, _a computer genius _to figure out who had been leaving the roses. She knelt and brushed the snow off its perfect petals, laying hers beside it as she rested her hand on the stone.

"Emily _Thorne _seems quite fitting today, doesn't it?" His smooth voice called from behind her. She stood but didn't turn.

"For once." His face broke out into a smile at her response.

"But she wouldn't have wasted a day of plotting in a frozen cemetery leaving roses for David Clarke. That's all _Amanda." _A familiar scowl at the name twisted on Emily's face. She ignored his quip and asked,

"How do you always get here before me, Nolan?" His mocking tone and smirking face both sobered as he said softly,

"I have to. This was my only connection to you for 8 years, Ems. I didn't know whether you were dead or alive except for this one day. I waited."

"You watch me? Every year?" He nodded, but she didn't see, her back still turned to him.

"You always look your best here. Peaceful. Sometimes you even smile." Emily's lips spread into a thin smile as she turned around. Nolan laughed, a charming sound that she usually heard echoing off the glass walls in his Hamptons castle. He walked up next to her, impulse taking over as he slipped his hand into hers, surprised when she laced their gloved fingers together. There they stood, staring down at the grave of the man they'd both loved, the only one they'd trusted.

"Do you think she cares, Nolan? Do you think she even remembers the day he died? Or was it all lost on her after she betrayed him?" Bitterness seeped into Emily's tone as she berated Victoria.

"Only the Ice Queen knows herself but...I do know she cared today. She was here, just before you." Emily pulled her hand out of his and turned to face him, her cheeks frozen pink from the wind, matching his.

"You saw her? Did she see you?" He shook his head.

"She was with Charlotte, brought her to meet Daddy Dearest." Now his own voice sounded bitter. "They saw the rose, probably assumed it was Fauxmanda who put it here."

"That means Victoria thinks she's back. She'll probably start looking for her." Panic rose inside Emily's chest, but she wouldn't let it show to Nolan, keeping her composure, cold as the air surrounding them.

"I thought you said she was secure with Takeda."

"She is, but-" He took her hand again, his eyes, two deep pools of blue, staring straight into hers.

"Ems, not today. Don't think about Takeda, or Amanda, or Victoria. It's his birthday, for god's sake." She could hear the crack in his voice, the fight within him to keep tears at bay. Her own eyes welled as she bit her lip, looking back down at the gravestone, their matching roses now coated in fresh snow. They knelt together; she kissed her fingers and touched them to the gray concrete, closing her eyes to savor the moment of peace.

"I love you Dad." She whispered. Nolan rubbed her shoulders, wishing he could offer words of comfort, but knowing whatever he said would be useless because he felt the same.

"I wonder if that's what Charlotte said." The words escaped his mouth without warning. But Emily didn't tense at the mention of Charlotte, at the reminder of Victoria.

"I want to be the one to bring her here, Nolan, not Victoria. I want to tell her about him. I want to show her…"

"Show her the box?" She turned to him, her chocolate eyes still glassy with tears, and dropped her head, nodding sadly.

"But I can't. You know I can't. She-"

"She still loves Victoria. And Daniel. She'd tell them right away." But Emily had stopped listening to his somber warning. Her gaze had fallen on two tiny sparkles in the snow. She reached down and pulled them out, holding two glistening diamond earrings in her hand. She held them out to Nolan, confusion twisting on her face. He sighed.

"Victoria left them. I don't know what for, they're just-"

"They were a gift. He gave them to her the second week they were…together." Her voice was laced with disgust, the tears gone from her eyes.

"She gave them back." Nolan stated simply. Emily stood, almost crushing his hand and the earrings with her anger.

"So now she actually gives a damn?"

"Ems-"

"This is some sick…birthday present? He loved her!" She was shaking. Nolan gripped her shoulders, steadying her.

"Emily…leave them. Just leave them here for him. He loved her." Her dark eyes flashed to him.

"No, I'm taking them. I won't let a reminder of the woman who sent him here stay with him." Nolan knew better than to argue.

"You can put them in your little box on secrets." He followed as she stalked away from the gravestone, sparing a glance for the innocent man. He'd already told him he was sorry before Emily got there, sorry that he hadn't tried to stop the woman's vengeance, but not sorry enough to try harder. Nolan had a little bit of Emily Thorne in him too. When he caught up to her, she had calmed down, her pace slowed and her voice even again.

"Does Carol ever…visit?" Emily asked him. The question caught him off guard.

"She did once, the year after he died, but it was too risky. Coming all the way out here from Pennsylvania. What would she say if someone saw her, or worse, recognized her?" Emily nodded, hearing the fear in his voice for his aunt as they neared the front gate. Nolan wrapped an arm tight around her shoulders, feeling them tense at his touch. He hated that. Hated how her life in foster care had made her sensitive to the slightest physical contact. He wondered how she could be with Daniel, allow him to touch her in the most intimate way, and not let her disgust show. He didn't relent, and eventually her body relaxed into his soothing embrace, her fingers curling around the earrings clutched in her palm. Behind them, hidden among the snow in a gray, designer coat, a pair of amber eyes watched them. Charlotte Grayson had fought to keep her gasps and shock hidden throughout the blond pair's conversation, resisting the urge to expose herself and hug Emily tightly. Her sister. By blood, by paternity, not by marriage as Charlotte had assumed she would soon be. She stepped out from behind the tree she'd used as a cover, and snuck out of the cemetery from a different entrance, pausing to touch her frozen, gloved fingers to her father's gravestone.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Emily let Nolan lead her up the stairs to her beach house, her eyes falling to her engagement ring poking through her glove, and trying her damndest to ignore the warmth of his body against hers. Her mind flashed again to Charlotte, guilt sweeping over her. She thanked Nolan for bringing her home and stepped into her house, the earrings still firmly in her grasp as she walked over to the hidden compartment under the stairs where she kept her precious infinity box. Sliding it open, she reached in and felt nothing. Emptiness.

Nolan was barely down the stairs and to his car before he heard her calling from her porch, frantic cries of his name. He turned and immediately ran toward the house, eyes wide in panic and curiosity.

"What happened?"

"It's gone. The box is gone." Nolan shook his head in disbelief, running a hand through his snow-covered hair.

"Again!? What the hell, Ems, didn't you store it in a secure place? Or was Tyler's little theft lost on you?" Her eyes changed from panic to anger.

"Of course I did! Now are you going to help me or just stand there throwing out accusations?" She snapped. He raised his hands in surrender.

"All right, all right. Think. Who knew about the box?" Names and faces of all those she knew ran through her mind as she tried to conjure up a name. A terrible thought occurred to her: Daniel. What if he had found it? Before she could voice the idea to Nolan, they heard a knock on her door. They both turned, apprehensive and tense, and were greeted with the smiling, innocent face of Charlotte Grayson. Nolan watched Emily transform, sliding the secret compartment closed and standing up, smoothing her hair and plastering on her Hamptons socialite mask as she pulled back the curtains and opened the door.

"Charlotte, hi. Did something happen to Daniel?" Her concern seemed unbelievably real, even to Nolan, and he knew how she felt about her fiancé after his interview. The young girl shook her head, her eyes welling with tears. Emily reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, inviting her in. "What happened?" Now Nolan could hear it: true concern, true pain and guilt over her sister consuming his friend. Charlotte sniffed, then blinked away her tears and reached into the bag slung over her shoulder. Her tone was harsh; the sweet voice ripped out of her by one too many lies.

"Not much. I just got some news, decided to do a little digging. I figured you'd want this back." The blonds' eyes widened in shock as the wooden box carved with David's infinity symbol appeared in Charlotte's hands. She stuck it out coldly towards Emily. "Don't worry, I didn't look inside. I want you to show me, _sis_." A cruel emphasis was placed on the word. "After all, you said you wanted to. Back at the cemetery." The revenge master inside Emily was slightly impressed. For an amateur, Charlotte had done well. Striking when Emily was in panic mode, caught off guard and missing a prized possession. And how had the young teen managed to evade both her and Nolan? Speaking of, she knew he wouldn't be pleased to hear such thoughts running through her mind. She was glad they weren't close enough for telepathy just yet. She could see his expression in the reflective glass doors: mouth slightly agape, eyes wide, staring, but not at Charlotte. At Emily. Waiting for a reaction, she realized. She silently took the box from her sister's outstretched hands, and the girl's resolve crumbled. Emily led her into the kitchen, and she sat at the table with Nolan, who was clutching the box as Emily brewed coffee. Thick silence hung in the air as Charlotte buried her head in her arms, and Nolan stood to join his friend, steps away from the crying girl.

"What's the plan, batgirl?" The look of shock on her face unnerved him; he wasn't used to seeing her like this.

"I guess I…I have to tell her."

"Emily Thorne letting down her guard?" She glared coldly at him, and his smirk switched to a somber look. "You can't, Ems. She'd run straight to Daniel and Victoria!" The woman shook her head.

"No, Nolan. She's young. She's hurt. She just wants the truth, for once. If we give her that, she's on our side."

"You think she'd value the innocence of a father she never knew over her brother?"

"What the hell are you talking about? Daniel's not a target, he never was."

"You're engaged to him, Ems! You're deceiving him. You're going to stick her in a crossfire between her two families. What if she doesn't choose yours?" They were glaring at each other, the pot of coffee steaming between them when Charlotte stepped into the kitchen.

"Can we get to it already?" She seemed exhausted, drained from the lies and the crying. With a glance back at Nolan, Emily poured the coffee and the 3 of them settled around the rectangular table. Before she even started talking, Emily could see pity for Charlotte burning in Nolan's deep blue eyes. She pressed her foot down on his; a warning. He bit into his lip, silencing himself, and could see that Emily was waiting. The woman didn't know where to start. She pulled the box toward her, placing her hands securely over the symbol.

"Charlotte, I want you to know that I didn't know you were my sister. I…I just found out."

"How?" Her tone was curious, innocent. Emily paused, wondering how much she could reveal to her all at once. As David's daughter, Charlotte deserved the truth about her father. Her blood boiled, remembering how Victoria had hidden David's innocence from Charlotte even after the truth came out. She'd led her to believe that her father was a ruthless killer.

"My…our father was interviewed by Mason Treadwell. He told him about you. He thought he could trust him. I didn't know until I watched his tapes."

"The tapes my mom has? Why did she burn down his house?" Her eyes widened with the realization when Emily didn't reply. "You…Emily, why? Why did you do that?" The blonde glanced at Nolan. She wasn't telling the story in order; she was going to confuse Charlotte even more. She took a deep breath and said,

"To answer that, I have to tell you about Dad." Her breath hitched on the word as she clasped Charlotte's hands within her own. "Charlotte, what do you know about him?"

"My mom had an affair with him, and that's how I was born. He was a terrorist conspirator; he gave money to those people who brought down that plane."

"Flight 197." The number was branded in Emily's memory, along with every other detail of the events surrounding the crash and the trial. "Charlotte. Look at me." The sisters' eyes bore into each other's. "He did not bring down that plane. He did not give that group, Americon Initiative, the money to carry out that plane crash. He…he was innocent." The young girl's fingernails dug into Emily's palm as she absorbed the weight of what she was saying.

"No…that's impossible. He was convicted and killed in prison. He was guilty!" Emily glanced at Nolan, the two of them fighting tears and anger at Charlotte's accusation.

"Charlotte, he was framed. He was innocent, and he was framed for the attack."

"He wasn't a murderer?" Emily shook her head. Disgust crept onto Charlotte's face. "Who would do that? Why?"

"The people who were guilty. The ones who actually gave the money and committed the crime. They framed him." Charlotte's mind was spinning, various puzzle pieces beginning to fit together: Mason Treadwell, her mother's fancy parties with him on the guest list, his book about David Clarke. A theory was forming in her head, but she didn't like it, not in the least.

"No. No you can't be-Emily, are you saying that…" the girl's eyes widened in shock, tears filling them. Emily nodded and began,

"Conrad was working with the terrorists," ignoring the hitch in Charlotte's voice and the tears spilling freely down her face. "He knew that if he got caught, his life, Victoria's life, and Daniel's would all be destroyed. So he used my-our father. He used our father as a patsy, Charlotte. Conrad did this. And Victoria helped him."

"My parents….my mother and..and Conrad-" Charlotte had to force the name out, stop herself from calling him dad. "They did this to him? To our father?" The blondes nodded sadly. Charlotte swallowed, anger rising within her. "That's horrible! How could they? My mother loved him. She loved him, she wouldn't betray him like that-" her words were choked by tears as she collapsed on the table. Another thick silence punctuated by sobs filled the air as Emily tried desperately to comfort her baby sister. Five minutes passed with the three of them sitting, nobody willing to talk until Charlotte composed herself.

"They-they framed him. Oh my god. He was innocent? Oh my god. How did they do it? And why are you here? If our dad was innocent, why did you have change your identity?" Now came the hard part: telling Charlotte that her sister was trying to destroy the only family the teen had ever known.

"Your parents are...very powerful. They bribed, threatened, and blackmailed their way into people's lives, making sure they played their part." Emily reached into the infinity box and pulled out the Grayson Global photograph, taken at the 2002 New Year's Eve Party. "All these people, they helped frame our father. I ended up in foster care after my father went to prison. I spent two years in Juvie until I was released in 2002." She went on to explain each person's role in the conspiracy, how each of them had betrayed David in his or her own way. Charlotte listened, her gaze never leaving the photograph.

"Charlotte. I came back here, changed my name and everything else, to get back at them." The girl's eyes widened as she stood and began to pace in front of the table, still clutching the photo.

"So Tom Kingsly's fundraiser, Bill Harmon's company crash, Treadwell's house burning down, and the mother-daughter tea…Emily you organized that? HamptonsExposed?"

"Impressed, or angry?" Nolan tried for a joke, and could feel Emily's foot press harder into his. But to his relief, Charlotte laughed, overwhelmed by it all, judging by the look of shock on her face.

"Both, I guess!" Nolan smiled at her and she reciprocated. "But I still can't believe you did the mother-daughter thing. That was a low blow." Guilt swept over Emily, remembering the pain the girl had endured, the hatred she felt for her mother. Her cold side immediately realized how Charlotte's distrust of Victoria could greatly benefit their cause.

"I know. And I'm so terribly sorry. But I didn't do it to hurt you, Charlotte, I swear. Never to hurt you."

"To hurt my mother. And Dr. Banks." She glanced at the two of them coldly. "Well, they deserved it. But why didn't you just call the cops? Why didn't you have my parents dragged off to jail all those years ago?" Her sister shook her head.

"Conrad and Victoria are too powerful. Similar accusations were made 18 years ago, when our father was incarcerated. Nobody believed him. Everybody already had their devil, and by then the Graysons were endowing a charity and supporting the victims. It was impossible." Emily's bitter tone struck a nerve with Charlotte. Her parents had done this; the people who fed her, clothed her, yelled at her. She almost laughed at the irony of them teaching her about morals when she was little. She turned to Nolan.

"You knew? The whole time?" He nodded, guilt creeping up within him, desperately wanting to say something, but Emily's foot was still on his, and so he remained silent. "So, what? You two are partners in this? He's been helping you with your revenge?" Charlotte's grip on the Grayson Global photograph tightened. "Against my…my family?" Nolan gave Emily a sidelong glance, and she nodded somberly.

"What about Daniel?" Charlotte turned her attack on Emily now. "Why are you marrying him? Is he just…another pawn? Do you love him, Amanda?" Nolan's interest was piqued; Emily had never revealed her full plan to him, never explained why marrying Daniel was essential. The blonde woman's gaze fell immediately to her diamond engagement ring as she twisted it back and forth on her finger. Charlotte's amber eyes widened, shifting between Nolan and Emily as she suggestively raised an eyebrow and asked, "Or is there…someone else?" Nolan raised his eyebrows in surprise, then remembered that she didn't know about his relationship with Tyler, hadn't made the assumption about him that Conrad, Daniel, and even Emily had. He felt heat rising to his cheeks. His feelings for Emily were something that had kept him awake at night long after the nightmares about Frank and Tyler subsided. Loyalty to David had brought him to her, but what had kept him around? He'd started to believe it was the revenge princess herself. Her cold demeanor hid a damaged girl; her schemes were complex and brilliant. In the least, he admired her. Nolan barely spared a glance at her then to see her cheeks glowing as well. A smirk spread across his face. His batgirl, embarrassed? Impossible. But the sight let hope rise within him, and he was quick to crush it. Icy as always, she brushed off the suggestion and turned back to Charlotte, phrasing her next words carefully.

"It did start out that way. But I truly love your brother. I want to marry him."

"After what he did? He knows, doesn't he?" Nolan was surprised Charlotte had made the connection so quickly; that she'd linked Daniel's interview with Emily's revelation. He knew Emily's answer was a lie, a manipulation to get the girl on their side. Daniel was a key piece in all this; he was the only one Charlotte didn't yet hate. Nolan didn't like it, but he knew that the teen would have a conscience, while he, and Emily even more so, had left theirs behind in the name of retribution.

"He knows what Conrad and Victoria did, yes. But no he doesn't know about me." Charlotte nodded, sinking into her chair. Another moment of silence passed.

"I want to help you."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Hey guys! This was the first story I had the courage to post on here so I really appreciate the reviews. Thank you so much! As always, enjoy and please continue to R&R!**

The pair of blonds could only stare at Charlotte for a good five minutes, disbelieving. She was the good one, the pure one, the one Emily looked at with pride, keeping her grounded through her destructive path of vengeance. She felt Nolan's warm breath in her ear.

"Guess she's a true Clarke after all." She didn't respond, motioning her sister to explain, which she did with a furor.

"My mother has lied to me for 17 years. The man I thought was my father is a domestic terrorist and my real father was framed. That family is toxic, Emily! Everybody only cares about themselves and now Daniel…he's turning into…into Conrad." Again the name was hard to say. The entire day had been hard to swallow for the innocent girl. Nolan's eyes lit up with surprise and relief that they weren't about to be exposed by Ems' long-lost half sister. But he knew she'd never allow it. Never let Charlotte risk her life the way the two of them did on a daily basis.

"Charlotte, the best thing you can do to help me is stay quiet. Say nothing. Don't tell anyone."

"But I want to help. Think about it: I live in the house. Nobody knows. They all think I'm just their ignorant daughter. They've all been lying to me, and they think I'm too stupid to realize it. I could help you." Nolan saw himself in the girl, her eagerness and immediate loyalty to a man she'd never met, and never would. Emily did, too. She saw the anger and the thirst for thoughtless lashing out, as she'd wanted 8 years ago. It had taken a lot to bring her to the place she was at, and Charlotte wasn't there. She wasn't ready.

"You're right. You're right. But this is dangerous. And it's not just your family. I know they would never hurt you, but the man who killed our father wouldn't hesitate." She proceeded to tell Charlotte about the white-haired man, everything she'd learned, which to be honest, wasn't much. But the girl listened intently, her amber eyes bright and focused; her mind alert. She understood the danger, the pain that could come out of this.

"Emily. I know how important this is to you. And now…it's important to me too. But...if you succeed, if _we_ succeed, what's going to happen to me? If my parents are gone, where will I go?" Emily could feel strong emotions inside of her that she'd spent 8 years learning how to suppress, all rising up because of the high pitch and innocence of her sister's voice. A long sigh escaped her.

"Charlotte, look at me. Nothing is going to happen to you, I promise. If this all ends the way I want it to, and now you want it to…" she paused to look at her sister, who gave a loyal nod. "…then you'll be staying with me. I won't abandon you, I promise."

Charlotte beamed.

"You know my parents never said that to me. My mom and I used to be close, but…" the girl shook her head. "I've always wanted a sister, Emily. I'm on your side. I promise." Emily and Nolan sighed with relief.

"Thank you. But wait, before you leave. There's something else I need from you." Charlotte raised her eyebrows, and Emily's gaze drifted to the bag slung over her shoulder. "I need you to stop taking those pills." The girl stiffened, and then glanced at Nolan as if to say, _thanks for exposing me, sis._ "I'm serious, Charlotte. If you want to be a part of this, if you want me to trust you, then you have to stop trusting those pills. They won't help anybody." The girl reached into her bag and pulled out the bottle she kept with her at all times. Emily opened her palm, replacing the clear, orange-tinted bottle with two diamonds. Charlotte's amber eyes took them in.

"My mother's earrings." Emily nodded.

"I want you to have them. In case you ever need reminding that Dad was a good man." The girl nodded, wrapping her sister in a tight hug before leaving, exhausted.

…

All the tension and fear in the air seemed to slip out the door with Charlotte, as Emily slipped the infinity box back into its place. Nolan stood, hands in his pockets, his eyes still glistening, and said softly,

"Wow, Ems. Didn't think you would do that." Emily glanced up, a wicked gleam in her eye. But Nolan could see that she too, was still recovering from it all.

"You should know by now I'm a constant surprise. But she's too easily manipulated." Nolan's eyes narrowed into slits, his tone changed to its usual purr.

"Tell me about it." He stepped closer until he was inches from her face. "You think I didn't notice the little trick you pulled when she brought up Daniel? You know she's going to find out. I don't think she's so sweet on her brother anymore either. Why not just tell her how you really feel about your _betrothed_?" Emily's dark eyes glared up at him.

"You should be more worried about Victoria manipulating her than me. I just hope Charlotte can keep it all inside. It's not easy." Both their minds went to the same place: Emily's frantic phone call to Nolan the night she found Roger Halstead dead in the bathtub; her anger and pain, her struggle to internalize any of those feelings. "If she cracks, we're going to have a serious problem."

...

Charlotte walked along the beach back to Grayson Manor, taking the long way, giving herself time to think. Her shoes felt heavy in her hands as she thought about the events of the past few hours, her anger at Victoria and Conrad unlike any she'd ever felt before. The weight of the afternoon caught up with her as she slipped through the door of the house, and she collapsed on the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey Charlie. What's the matter, sweetheart?" The voice, once comforting, now made her eyes flash with pain. She felt sick. "You ok?" _Oh I'm just fine__**, Conrad**_, she thought bitterly, wishing she could call him that to his face. See his reaction. _I just found out you're a domestic terrorist and that you framed my father to save yourself and mom. I'm just peachy. _Sarcasm was not a familiar thing to the privileged girl, but she found it coming easily in her thoughts now. She remembered Emily, marveled at her composure and her ability to keep it together in front of Victoria. She looked up, restoring the glow to her eyes and the innocence to her face.

"I'm fine, daddy. I just…had a long day."

"Did you have a fight with Declan? I know you two went through a rough patch because of Daniel's trial." She beamed even brighter.

"No I'm just tired. I think I'll go to bed, get some rest."

"All right, sweetheart, whatever you need." He kissed her cheek as she fought tears. "Remember, you can talk to me about anything, Charlie. Anytime. I'll always be here for you." Her breath caught in her throat halfway up the stairs. She turned around to look at him, ten steps below her.

"Daddy…" and this time the innocence was real. "Daddy, would you ever lie to me?" Conrad's forehead pinched in confusion, but he paused to carefully construct his sentence. He knew Charlotte wasn't ready for the truth about David; he knew she'd turn on him the second she found out. Daniel was different; he'd grown up with loyalty to the company and to his family sewn into his skin.

"I know I haven't been completely…honest with this family and with you lately, but I love you. I want you to know that. I would not do what your mother did." That last sentence was a mistake. Charlotte fought a sarcastic laugh. _Oh no, you'd do much worse_. "And I'm sorry that she kept the truth about your…father from you and I'm sorry I treated you so badly when I found out. But you don't have to turn to those pills for comfort." The reminder of his rejection was enough to force the pain back into her again. She pasted on her smile.

"It's ok, dad. And I will…try. I'm going to go to therapy again, see if it helps. Thanks."

"Anytime, baby girl." She bit her lip so hard she almost cut it, fleeing up the stairs and into her room before bursting into tears again.

Two hours later, she heard a knock on her door. Stuffing the picture of David and Amanda that Emily had given her under her pillow, she wiped her face and pulled open the door.

"Hey." Her brother's smiling face greeted her, restored after his interview. He felt in control again.

"Danny!" she shrieked, and hugged him, then lowered her arms to rub his shoulders. "How are you?" Emily had been right: she didn't hate her brother, at least not as much as she did Victoria and Conrad. But the girl was still aware that he knew the truth about David, and hadn't told her. This was the main thing she held against him. She had no idea how far and how fast Daniel was sinking into the murky depths of Grayson Global.

"I'm good. Finally feeling like myself again. Real bed feels nice." He chuckled. "I just wanted to check in before I saw Emily. How are you feeling?" The concern in his eyes for his baby sister was real. He raised his eyebrows; she knew what he was suggesting.

"I'm fine, Danny. I'll get through this, I promise." He glanced toward her dresser, toward the bottle of pills. "I'm trying, Danny." Her voice became firmer. He nodded grimly.

"Well you tell me if you need anything, ok?" She beamed.

"I will. So you're…going to see Emily?" He didn't miss the hint of incredulation in her tone.

"Yeah I haven't seen her since the interview." _Oh I wonder why, _Charlotte thought, resisting an impulse to roll her eyes like the petulant child she'd been before the events of this summer.

"Oh well she's home, over there with Nolan right now." She made her voice teasing, biting her lips in a suggestive manner. She was trying to needle him, get under his skin. Where this cruel bone in her body had suddenly appeared from she didn't know. One too many lies, she guessed. But Daniel just laughed, his mind drifting to Tyler.

"Oh I've got nothing to worry about there, trust me." Charlotte's forehead creased in genuine curiosity, but she didn't ask.

"Hey Danny, are you ok? You seemed kinda…tense after the interview." She could see the muscles in Daniel's back pinch as he headed toward the door.

"No, no it's nothing. Dad and I were just…discussing the company before, that's all." He turned to face her; guilt blatantly obvious on his face. She nodded, then asked seriously,

"Danny…do you anything about…David Clarke? Did mom tell you anything?" She was playing with fire, she knew. She didn't know if Emily would be proud or try to strangle her. Reaching under her covers, she pulled out Mason Treadwell's book, seeing it in a new light after the truth had been revealed. Its thick pages suddenly felt too heavy in her hands. "All I have is this. But it doesn't tell me what he was _really_ like you know, just what he did, which is horrible."

"Yeah, horrible…" Daniel muttered. He was keeping the secret to protect his family, as Conrad had done. But he was well aware that he was hurting and lying to his baby sister in the process, a fact that was hard to swallow. "I'm sorry, Charlotte, I don't know anything else. Mom will tell you when she's ready." He couldn't wait to escape. She feigned an exasperated sigh.

"I guess you're right. Well, later. You should go see Emily." Daniel missed the harsh tone of her voice, the fight inside his sister to keep her anger down. He nodded and left.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks everybody for your support! Enjoy this chapter and please don't forget to click on that cute little review button right at the bottom! :) **

Emily leaned over and straightened Daniel's tie as he descended the stairs, smiling like the perfect socialite and gazing at the ring on her finger.

"There. Perfect." She beamed at her fiancé. Daniel smiled and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her slender waist.

"We'll try to leave the party early. I can't imagine you want to make small talk with my parents' friends on New Year's Eve." He grinned teasingly and left to grab his cufflinks.

"Actually, I'm looking forward to it." She murmured to herself, the wicked gleam back on her face as she heard a knock on her door. She turned in surprise to see Nolan waving at her in his signature way. She glanced toward the stairs and then opened the door.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She hissed.

"Snagged an invite to the party, Ems. Wanted to make sure no one got killed this time." In spite of herself, Emily cracked a smile. It felt so good not to suppress her true self in front of him, especially on a night like this. One that brought back so many memories of the night she first set foot in the beach house as an adult.

"Emily, ready to go?" a voice called from upstairs. She could hear footsteps in the hallway. Her smile disappeared, but the smirk on Nolan's face remained.

"Ah, Prince Charming." She started to shove him out the door but he relented, and slipped out undetected. He turned and bumped into a small figure in a gray coat on Emily's porch. "Charlotte!" he exclaimed, surprised. "What are you doing here?" his voice was soft, addressing the innocent girl.

"Charlotte? Why are you out in the cold?" Her head jerked up at the sound of her brother's concerned voice. Nolan watched carefully for her reaction. He was shocked when, like a true Clarke sibling, she tossed her hair and smiled.

"Mom asked me to come get you and Emily. You're late." She teased. Nolan let Daniel and Emily pass in front of him, glancing down at their linked hands, his face twisting in an almost undetectable scowl. Charlotte stayed behind with him, Emily shooting a_ take care of her _glare at him, and he knew she didn't mean just for the night. As they walked along the beach, (Daniel and Emily had chosen to take the traditional route), Charlotte turned to look up at Nolan.

"So what's your story?" He was caught off guard. Arching his eyebrows, he asked,

"My story?"

"Yeah, why are you helping her? What do you care about David Clarke?" He was almost offended before he remembered that she didn't know anything about his true relationship with the man. He dug his shoes into the sand as they walked, pausing before he answered.

"David was the only person willing to invest in my company when I first started. If it weren't for him…well I'd still be living at home." Nolan chuckled lightheartedly. She smiled up at him. Then his tone turned serious as he said, "And I visited him in prison. Besides your parents and the people who helped them, I was the first person to know the truth about what happened to him. He trusted me enough to give me the box." He swallowed, remembering those dark days, watching David waste away behind bars and wanting so badly to help him.

"So that's how you met Emily?" Charlotte glanced down at her own feet, tucked into strappy heels and sinking in the warm sand. Nolan had been surprised all summer that nobody had questioned the origins of his and Emily's relationship before. He nodded.

"Yeah, I gave it to her when she got out of Juvie. She was angry as hell, and who could blame her? I helped her figure out what to do with the information but in the end she decided for herself. She took off and I didn't see her again till she showed up here." He decided to leave out the 2002 New Year's Eve Party as he neared Grayson Manor. The pair walked in silence to the door until Charlotte asked,

"Nolan? Do you think Emily loves Daniel?" Fate had not helped him in the past, but it was on his side that night, because before he had to lie to this innocent girl, he heard Victoria's rich voice call from inside,

"Charlotte! Where are you? I want you to come say hello!"

"Coming!" she replied, glancing back at Nolan. He breathed in the salty ocean air and absorbed the peaceful sound of crashing waves before heading up the path.

Emily smiled and walked throughout the house with Daniel in her designer black dress, the dutiful fiancée role played to a tee. In between greeting Wall Street CEO's and their plastic wives, she anxiously scanned the room for Charlotte, sighing in relief when she spotted her mingling with her mother. But where was Nolan? She started twisting the pearls in her necklace. Daniel noticed her distress.

"Hey babe, you ok?" She breathed in and replied,

"Yeah I-I'm fine. Just looking for Nolan. I wanted to…wish him a happy new year." Daniel smiled at her, Charlotte's earlier words ringing in his ears: _She's_ _over there with Nolan right now. _He shook off his paranoia, and led his fiancée over to his sister.

"You look beautiful, Charlotte!" Emily exclaimed, kissing her cheek.

"Thank you! Danny, mind if I talk to her for a second? Fashion stuff." Charlotte winked at her brother, and even Emily was impressed with her composure. Daniel grinned good-naturedly and released Emily, whose plastic smile faded the instant the two sisters were alone.

"What's wrong?" she asked between her teeth. Charlotte shook her head, reaching into the clutch she kept at her side of her knee-length, rose-colored party dress, and pulling out a small card.

"This is the real reason I came to see you before the party tonight. This is the memory card from my camera. My dad- er, Conrad had all this information about the white-haired man on his desk. Documents by the dozen, so I took pictures of them." Her voice was excited and she struggled to whisper. Emily's eyes widened as she laughed lightly for show, as if the two sisters were merely discussing Herve Leger and Gucci.

"I can't believe you got these."

"I told you I would help." Charlotte beamed proudly. Emily kept her wicked smile under wraps and touched her sister's shoulder in gratitude, then slipped the card into her clutch, walking back to Daniel.

Victoria watched the scene from afar, her eyes keen as a hawk when it came to Emily. She swallowed the confusion that arose when she saw Emily accept something from Charlotte, a little square that looked like a microchip. She knew her daughter was a trusting, loving young girl – just like David, she thought sadly – and that Charlotte approved of her soon-to-be sister-in-law. The thought alone made the Ice Queen sick.

"I'm going to go make sure Charlotte's ok." She whispered in Conrad's ear, untwining herself from him. She twisted his diamond around her finger, knowing he wouldn't question her decision after their daughter's recent behavior.

Charlotte was staring after Emily, observing her composure and her perfect mask with Daniel when she heard a voice over her shoulder.

"Eerie, isn't it? The way she seems like a completely different person?" She almost jumped out of her skin but there was something about Nolan's young face and snarky purr that made her feel at ease. The man was real, if nothing else, and that was rare in her town. The girl nodded, mesmerized.

"I thought that was who she really was. But she's…."

"She's so much more." Charlotte didn't miss the admiration and longing in his voice, struggling to keep a smirk off her face. She gave him a classic teenage girl grin as he peered over her shoulder.

"Victoria. Happy New Year." He said uneasily, uncomfortable in the queen's imposing presence.

"Not quite." She chucked good-naturedly. "We still have another 20 minutes. Do you make New Year's resolutions, Nolan?" How to make such a simple question sound so sinister was one of Victoria's specialties. He swallowed, all too aware of his dry throat.

"Used to, especially to socialize more. Never lived up to them, so I decided it wasn't worth it." Charlotte was intently watching the exchange, realizing that Nolan was a bit like her sister as well. Both could hide easily in the presence of those they were trying to cut down, but he wasn't quite as cold as Emily. She could see cracks in the façade, chinks in the armor, but decided she liked him more for them. He was human. Victoria laughed at his wry comment, her voice like bells ringing through the house.

"Well I think you've succeeded! We've seen you at more parties than usual this year, ever since Emily showed up. How do you two know each other?" Out of the corner of his blue eyes, Nolan could see Charlotte stiffen, and resisted the urge to grip her arm and steady her back to normal, lest her mother catch on.

"We met through Nolcorp, actually. Her father was heavily invested in my company before his…death." He choked out the words, struggling to make them sound casual. He could see curiosity burning in Victoria' eyes, an emotion she desperately tried to mask. The queen didn't like secrets being kept from her, but she had no problem hiding hers. The technology that made Nolan rich was his savior, as his phone rang before Victoria could ask another question he didn't want to answer.

"Excuse me." He slipped out into the foyer, his face burning. "Nolan. Who is this? Hello?" He didn't get a response until he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned, face to face with Emily's chocolate eyes. "Ems…" he hissed, tapping the end button on the call. "What are you doing here? Where's Daniel?"

"I sent him to get us drinks." She said dismissively. Realizing they were being watched by the rich and elite all around, she pulled him into a hug and planted an airy kiss on his cheek. Her lips tickled his ear as she whispered, "What did Victoria say to you?"

"Not much. Socialite things. You would know." He smirked at her. She ignored him, seething as she pulled back.

"You left her alone with Charlotte? She can't handle this! Not yet, not right now. What if she breaks?" He hadn't considered it, but shook his head, not willing to take the blame.

"Ems, she lives with her. Charlotte's going to have to face the music sometime." They snuck into the hallway adjacent to the main living room, discreetly watching the mother-daughter pair.

Being left alone with her mother made Charlotte anxious; she scanned the room for Nolan or Emily, but Victoria pressed on, oblivious to her angst.

"Charlotte, are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yeah. Yeah I'm just fine, Mom."

"Well, I'd like to talk to you later tonight. Just the two of us, if that's ok?" Charlotte was nervous, suspicious, and a little excited. Her mother cared. Victoria wanted to be with her. She turned to face the queen, beaming, until she saw the expression on her mother's face. Her manicured hand reached up and delicately touched the diamonds hanging from Charlotte's ears. "Those are beautiful." _David's diamonds._ Charlotte's breath caught in her throat; her palms began to sweat. Slowly she raised her head to meet her mother's eyes, fright and guilt filling them as she took in her mother's patronizing smile. She nodded quietly and Victoria beamed in her perfect Hamptons way, slipping off to rejoin Conrad. Nolan slunk away from Emily, aware that the queen was still watching, as Emily approached her sister with a smile. Charlotte saw her out of the corner of her eyes, turning her back and ripping out the earrings, stuffing them into her clutch. She placed a hand on the fabric of her dress and rubbed it between her fingers, keeping up the façade of fashion discussions as she leaned in and whispered,

"Are you ok? What did she say?" Charlotte swallowed tightly, her throat dry.

"She…she wants to talk tonight. Just us." Panic rose within Emily's and she fought to keep it down. She didn't want that conversation to ever take place, but couldn't afford to tip Charlotte to the other side with a loud protest. The girl still desperately craved her mother's love. Charlotte, meanwhile, was shaking inside. She was panicked and desperately wanted Emily's advice. But she didn't want to be treated like an incompetent child who couldn't handle the truth.

"Ok. But be very careful, Charlotte. If she asks you anything about me, anything, leave. Make an excuse and go. I don't want you in that kind of situation. I don't want you to have to choose."

"I already have, Ems." She couldn't suppress a grin at her sister's use of Nolan's nickname. "I'll be fine." Emily smiled, kissed her cheek, and left to rejoin Daniel, taking the champagne from his hands.

...

Charlotte stared at the empty hallway in front of her, counting the steps to her mother's room with her eyes. _Just a conversation. She just wants to talk. It could be about anything. _She tried a different reassurance tactic with every step. She paused in the doorway to the master suite, steeling herself. Victoria's eyes caught movement in the mirror as she removed her makeup and tied her robe around her waist.

"Charlotte, come in sweetheart." The girl walked towards her mother, smiling, her mind spinning. Her eyes flitted across the room, taking in the antique vanity and four poster bed covered in rich ruby sheets. Her eyes met her mother's as Victoria's gaze fell on her ears. Charlotte resisted an urge to touch her earlobes, knowing that the earrings dangled from them. She'd put them on in her room just before she was summoned to the master bedroom. Her stance was strong, indignant. They were her _father's earrings._ He was innocent, and this was her way of reminding herself of that. Victoria was the one who should be bowing her head in shame, begging her daughter for forgiveness. The girl held the queen's gaze for several seconds until Victoria stepped toward her. She could in no way have anticipated what would come next.

"Those really do look beautiful on you, especially when you smile. That beautiful, bright smile of yours." Victoria gently brushed her daughter's brunette locks from her face, her touch tender. "I'm sorry, Charlotte. For keeping him from you. Forcing you to go digging around in these…these lies!" Here Victoria picked up Mason Treadwell's book from the bed and slammed it on the dresser. Charlotte jumped back, startled. How had her mother known she had that book?_ Daniel._ Her teeth grit in frustration. Victoria closed her eyes, collecting herself as Charlotte put on her best confused face. _These lies…_was her mother going to tell her the truth? Finally, Charlotte thought. She knew what Victoria had done, what her whole family was keeping her, and yet she didn't want to see her suffer. She decided to bait her, to play the ignorant role and save her mother's dignity at least a little. It was strange that this girl could co-exist in the same body with the one who eagerly accepted Emily's vendetta. She was a paradox.

"What do you mean, lies?" Victoria stepped closer, her eyes flashing with tears.

"Mason Treadwell…he doesn't tell the full story. And it's not entirely his fault." Here it comes…Charlotte held her breath, her heart racing. This would end it. Her mother would tell her the truth and she would tell Emily, convince her to stop her plan. It would work. "You see, when he asked to interview your fathe-Conrad and I, we refused. I just couldn't bare it."

"But Mason's book is telling the truth, isn't it? David…he did do all those terrible things." It was nearly impossible to keep up the charade now; Charlotte's whole body shook with anticipation. Victoria paused, sliding her hands to her daughter's shoulders, gripping them tightly.

"Charlotte…"

Charlotte's hands flew up to her ears, loyalty to her mother filling her heart. She'd tell the truth of where she got the earrings, of everything she knew. She may be angry, but the woman who'd made her so was own mother. Victoria would do right by her; she would go to the police and expose Conrad. She may even get immunity, or at least, a lessened sentence. The girl's faith in humanity may have been shaken, but at her core she was soft. Her naivete was about to be Emily's undoing. Charlotte took a deep, cleansing breath. "Mom." Before she could say the next two words, those two words that would tear apart Victoria and Emily's worlds, the ice queen cut in, her voice a broken whisper.

"Yes. Yes, Charlotte, he did do those terrible things." It felt like she'd just been slapped. Charlotte stepped out of her mother's grip, shaking her head, her throat closing. Tears stung at the corners of her eyes, threatening to pour down in a rush. Victoria stepped forward, raising her voice in desperation. "But listen to me! Listen, your father did have some…some amazing qualities, honey. And I see those in you. The way you care about everyone, your humor, your heart. Those are all from him, like I told you at the cemetary. And when I saw that you had taken the earrings from his grave I knew you would want to-" Charlotte shoved her away, the first time she'd used physical force against her mother.

"No, mom, just stop. Stop! He was a monster. A monster, right?" Her tone was almost mocking, daring Victoria to come clean. But she didn't. She was in too deep. Her deal with the SEC was brewing, but she couldn't tell her daughter before it became finalized and she had immunity. She didn't know how the girl would react. Her silence was Charlotte's trigger. "Then I don't want to hear any more about him. Nothing! Do you get it? I don't care! So I took the stupid earrings! So what? They were pretty. Maybe I can sell them." She stormed to the dresser and tossed Mason Treadwell's book in the garbage, hating it for its lies, for his compliance with Victoria and Conrad, hating that she'd believed what was printed in it. Her final insult was aimed directly for Victoria's heart, for the part of her mother that was still in love with David. The sting found its mark.

Before Victoria could react, Charlotte fled from the room. There the ice queen stood, alone in her deception. David wasn't there to hold her, to put the earrings back on and tell her she looked beautiful. She'd never believed in heaven or hell, though if she did she was sure she'd end up in the latter, and even in death they would be separated. David was too good a man to co-exist with her, even in the afterlife. But she hoped that David understood, wherever he was. That he knew she loved him. She did it for her family. She'd do anything for them. Sighing, Victoria crawled into bed and turned off the light.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next morning, Emily slipped Charlotte's memory card into her computer as Nolan peered over her shoulder.

"Where's Danny boy?" He asked teasingly as the card loaded its contents into her hard drive.

"I let him go back to Victoria for breakfast." She replied through clenched teeth.

"Well isn't that sweet?" She ignored the smirk on his face, a gasp escaping her mouth as the card finished its rendering.

"His location. I can't believe Conrad would leave these lying around." Nolan's long fingers took control of the mouse, splicing different angled shots together, muttering,

"Little sis doesn't have a career as a photographer, but she's not utterly hopeless." Emily watched intently as an image began to form. Pure white shutters appeared out of chaos, along with a carved oak door and manicured patch of grass. Nolan snorted, amused. "Ruthless, hired-assassin-terrorist lives in the _suburbs_? You have got to be kidding me."

"Nobody will suspect him. Though not the smartest assassin I've seen." She was picking up some of his sarcasm lately.

"Well, plenty of room in the garage for a torture chamber." They smirked at each other, eyes locked, relishing in this small, shared moment.

"Emily, are you going to…kill him?" The blond pair turned away from each other and toward the doorway, where Charlotte had suddenly appeared. Her raised eyebrows and inquisitive look bounced between Emily and Nolan, who wanted to ask the same question, if only to appease himself, but knew it would be pointless. He could be her conscience, like he'd promised David, but only if she would let him.

"I don't have a choice, Charlotte."

"Amanda!" Emily struggled to take a deep breath, to remember that Charlotte wasn't like her. The girl hadn't spent years suppressing emotions and learning how to kill without them. She had to remember that her sister wasn't like Nolan either, who had learned to stop questioning some of the morally abhorrent parts of Emily's mission; it was an argument he would inevitably lose. Suddenly Charlotte took a step back from where she'd approached the couch. "But you might be used to turning to murder." She regarded her sister with apprehension, her mind spinning as images flashed in her mind: the engagement party, Daniel's incarceration, the trial that drove her and Declan apart over Jack's guilt. She turned to Emily, accusation flashing in her eyes. "Did you kill Tyler?" Emily froze. Of course she had considered that Charlotte might bring this up, but she had yet to come up with an appropriate lie to cover Takeda. Nolan's eyes widened; she could see panic starting to rise in him.

"No, Charlotte, I did not." Making her voice firm on that statement was easy; it was the truth. An idea flashed in the woman's mind. "The woman who you thought was Amanda, she killed Tyler. She's the real Emily Thorne. We met in Juvie and agreed to switch names, for my benefit," Emily said softly, hoping to appease her sister's rage. But the statement only seemed to make her angrier.

"So she told you? And you just stood there and let Daniel take the fall? He could have spent life in prison!"

"Well don't worry, because_ Mommy _made sure that wouldn't happen to her precious son!" Emily's own anger was rising to the surface. She felt Nolan touch her arm; in his eyes was a warning to calm down.

"What are you talking about?" Emily sighed.

"Victoria hired a contractor to beat up Daniel in prison so he'd get an early release." Ignoring Charlotte's gasp of horror, Emily continued. "And then she had the same man blackmail one of the jurors to ensure an acquittal."

"But it never got to that point. Daniel was released because…" Emily waited for her to realize the truth. "Wait, the guy who confessed, Lee Moran. Was he the contractor? Was he…" She looked up with inquisitive, hurt eyes. Emily nodded.

"Yes, he was innocent. When he was picked up by police for a routine stop…" she gave a sidelong glance to Nolan, both silently agreeing to omit Emily's tip to the police and her framing Lee to protect Jack. "…he threatened to confess everything. Conrad had the white-haired man, the same man who killed our father, fake Lee's suicide to cover up their tracks."

"So it's the same story. David Clarke, all over again. Lee was innocent, just like our father." She slowly sank back onto the couch. "But Amanda…I mean the real Emily, she still told you. And you didn't do anything about it!"

"She told me after the white-haired man killed Lee and Daniel was released, when she knew she wouldn't get caught."

"Why didn't you tell the police? Clear Lee's name?" Her incessant questions were getting under Emily's skin; she struggled to explain to her sister that revenge required taking the road less traveled, the road less moral. She couldn't turn on Amanda, or Takeda for that matter, losing two of her allies.

"I...Listen, I can't." Charlotte's hands slammed onto the table as she stood defiantly. "Then you're no better than my parents!" She caught Nolan's jaw dropping, her sister's eyes burning with a dangerous kind of anger. Nolan would never tell her that the same thought had crossed his own mind a few times. All it had taken for his mind to change was to look at a picture of David, innocent and betrayed. "You're protecting a murderer, and letting an innocent man be condemned for...for _a crime he didn't commit._ So what does it matter what side I choose? Maybe I should have just told her last night!"

"Charlotte!"

"What did you do?" The blonds' sentences overlapped each other's, and Emily quickly sidled up to her sister to grip her shoulders.

"Charlotte, who did you tell?" Her sister held her rage-filled gaze for a minute, but could not hold up against Emily. She sighed, her bony shoulders relaxing under Emily's vice-like grip.

"Nobody." Her voice was bitter. "My mom questioned me last night, about those stupid earrings." Her eyes became wistful, staring off into the distance. "She was going to tell me. She was so close. Those earrings, they triggered something for her. She would have told me." Her trust in Victoria crushed Emily: she knew the girl would only be disappointed.

"And did she?" Nolan asked from the couch, his voice soft and already knowing the answer. Charlotte didn't look at him, shaking her head in response.

"No. Of course not." She snapped bitterly. Her mind shook itself clear of trust in Victoria for the moment, as her thoughts returned to their previous conversation about Lee. "Oh god. Oh god, Emily. If Conrad ordered Lee's death, did- did he do the same to our father?" Emily didn't answer; she didn't have to. But she saw an opportunity to turn Charlotte's moral compass and took it.

"But right now I have to deal with the white-haired man. Charlotte." She looked deep into her sister's eyes, taking her hands. "He murdered our father in cold blood." The girl was quiet, frightened by the deadly look in her sister's eyes. She dropped her head, letting it hang in the silence before looking up at Emily. The look in Charlotte's eyes scared Nolan;he'd seen it much too often in his blond confidante. The young girl's amber orbs glowed with rage.

"Amanda." Emily raised her eyebrows. "Do it. Whatever you have to, I...I can't take it." Mason Treadwell had once told Charlotte not to be like the rest of her family. She suppressed a bitter laugh. _Too late. _Emily nodded silently. This was what she'd wanted. She didn't want Charlotte to turn out like her, a borderline psychopath, but she needed the girl on her side, and that required a bit of manipulation. As Charlotte got up and slipped out the glass door, she turned to add, "But please, please don't get hurt." Emily smiled and gave her word, glad that the girl's heart was still warm. The woman paused to look up at the bleak, gray sky; it matched her emotions today. She took pleasure in destroying the lives of those who had helped to frame her father, a sociopathic tendency she was sure. But she wasn't sure how she could truly go far enough to kill the white-haired man. It was a thought she refused to voice, even to Nolan, because she knew he would try to talk her out of it. That she could deal with. What she was afraid of was that he might succeed, and she couldn't afford to get distracted. Not now, when everything had reached such a critical point in her plan.

"Ems, you ready?" She took a deep breath, turning to look into Nolan's deep blue eyes.

"Yeah. Let's do this."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

**Please R&R, and above all, enjoy! **

It was over. It was finally over. She had risked it all to involve Charlotte, and in the end it had paid off. She had gotten her revenge. Although sparing the life of the white-haired man, Emily had managed to decimate the entire Grayson family while saving her sister from their clutches. Her smile widened as she grabbed her keys on her way to Nolan's house. She owed him a lot more than her gratitude, after everything the man had done_. I could have lost him yesterday._ She thought, her heart racing dangerously at the she pulled her door closed, she turned and nearly bumped into the girl.

"Charlotte!" She greeted warmly, reaching out to hug her, but she pushed Emily away.

"How could you do that to Daniel_, Amanda_? You said he wasn't a target!"

"He wasn't…I…Charlotte, I never meant to hurt him."

"You cheated on him!" Emily hung her head. She felt guiltier being confronted now than she had in her living room, handing Daniel his ring back.

"It's better for him this way."

"How, to be heartbroken?" her voice was shrill, loyalty to her brother rung out. Fear seized Emily's heart at the thought of that loyalty surpassing the one she'd so carefully constructed for their father in her sister's heart. Charlotte had already rattled the cage once, nearly exposing herself and her sister to Victoria and so destroying her entire world. Emily would have said anything to keep her on her side.

"For now, yes. I might be done with your parents and the white-haired man, but I don't want Daniel in my life, suffering from my lies. I'd never planned to tell him the truth; I'll still be Emily to everybody." Actually, she had not planned her life out for after her vengeance was complete; she hadn't expected to be done so quickly. But the statement seemed to placate Charlotte, at least for now. Her attention had been caught by something else.

"So it's really over? It's all done?" Emily smiled at her.

"Yes, yes it's all over." Her sister's face broke out in a grin as they hugged tightly. "Now go home, Charlotte. Daniel will need you in the weeks ahead." She nodded somberly and took off toward Grayson Manor. Emily allowed herself a serene smile in the direction of the mansion, her mind drifting back to the day she'd bought the house, running her fingers over the infinity symbol. "I did it, dad. For you." She skipped, yes actually skipped, down the steps and headed over to Nolan's house for comfort and to toast their quiet success.

...

That night Nolan approached the beach house slowly, as if stepping onto a minefield, which, when it came to Emily's volatile personality, wasn't exactly an exaggeration.

"Emily…are you ok?" His voice caught in his throat as he took in the sad sight: his batgirl hunched over, hands pressed to her face, eyes glued to her TV, which blared the news of the plane crash. Had they been celebrating her success with champagne just that morning? Fauxmanda pregnant, Conrad's evidence destroyed in the crash, Victoria potentially dead. That had never been one of Emily's goals. Kill the Ice Queen? No, just make her suffer for the rest of her life. There was a distinct difference in the pair's eyes. Emily shook her head, teary-eyed; her voice was a soft, broken whisper.

"This can't be real. All of Conrad's evidence, everything…that could have exonerated my father was on that plane." He hesitated before his next words, feeling like what he was about to reveal could potentially be worse.

"Not exactly." Her head raised, her interest was piqued through her sorrow. "I, uh, unencrypted and backed up that mysterious hard drive before I gave it to McGowan." He sat on the couch next to her, opening his laptop as she scooted closer. He struggled to ignore the warmth of her body in the cold house, a fire blazing in front of them, its light making the room glow. "After the Graysons framed your father, Americon Initiative handled the cover-up. This goes so far past the Graysons and _so far_ past what they did to your father." She looked up at him with red eyes. "Hold onto your hat…" He tapped his finger on the play button, revealing a conversation between the white-haired man, Conrad, and Victoria.

"_It'll work because he trusts me." Her regal voice reverberated from the computer._

"_How can you be so sure?" the man asked quizzically. _

"_Because I know David's deepest secret. The wife he had before we met-"_

"_The one who died in 1990." _

"_Yes. If you look a little deeper, you'll find there's much more to the story."_ Nolan hit pause, wanting to tell Emily himself, and not let Victoria ruin the revelation. He would do it much more gently.

"What is she saying? That they killed my mother too?" Emily looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes, anger already stirring beneath the broken surface. He shook his head.

"No. What she's saying is that…your mother's alive." He froze after the statement, watching her face, her expressions shifting slowly from shock to disbelief to anger to intrigue. It scared and relieved him all at once, when the dark expression he knew so well returned to her eyes. She was better with these kinds of revelations than the younger Clarke sister, but even Emily fought to keep her composure. "Ems…"

"No. Victoria wasn't supposed to die. And my mother wasn't supposed to be alive." She shook her head, denial pushing out the next sentence in her cold voice. "This wasn't part of the plan. Nothing was supposed to go this way." She reached for the infinity box, wanting to scour it for evidence, something she missed that told her the truth. He stopped her.

"I know it's a lot, Ems. I know, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry. But don't do this, not tonight." His pleading, soft voice was in stark contrast to her frozen resistance. "You know you won't find anything in there. David didn't tell you. He didn't tell me. We have enough to deal with, recovering the evidence from the crash, and with what happened to Victoria." She wasn't convinced. Nolan sighed and threw out the final weapon in his artillery. "Think about what Charlotte must be going through." It worked. Emily pulled back her hands and sat stiffly on the couch. With everything that had happened, she'd forgotten about her little sister.

"I…I don't know if I can, Nolan. It's too much. She's…alive." She let out a bitter laugh. "And Victoria is dead. And then," she gave a disappointed smile, the one expression Nolan had yet to see on her face. "then we have Conrad. No evidence, nothing. My father's innocence. Gone." She collapsed within herself, folding her arms and ducking her head. He cautiously wrapped an arm around her, waiting for her to tense, like at the cemetery. But she relaxed into his hold; her head nestled into his shoulder. They sat, still and warm on the sofa, her eyes closed, letting him comfort her. He closed his own eyes and leaned back, allowing his body to relax, his mind spinning. He could feel her body soften under his arms, the resolve melting; the coldness in her demeanor fading. Suddenly he felt her shift. His eyes sprung open to find her chocolate pair staring into his sapphire ones. He lifted a hand to touch her cheek, fingers brushing the blond hair off her face.

"What happened? Ems, it's ok. I promise we'll deal with it all tomorrow. I won't let you do it alone." Of course not. She shook her head, biting down on her lip. His eyebrows were arched with concern, his hand still warm against her cheek, when she leaned in and kissed him. It was not passionate, nor quick, but real and soft. Nolan's eyebrows arched even further with surprise. Emily was vulnerable tonight, broken and in shock. He wasn't the type of man to take advantage of a woman like that. He pulled back, searching her eyes, taking in the hurt expression on her face; he knew it far too well: rejection. He could have explained, but never got the chance. She tried again, fully pressing her lips to his, and he gave in this time, both of them slowly shifting toward each other. She slipped her fingers into his soft, perfect hair and tugged him closer, his arms wrapping around her waist until there was only heat, no air left between them.

Outside the doors of the beach house, on the frozen porch, Charlotte stood, tears in her eyes as she peeked in through the frosted glass, snow falling around her. Emily was clearly _occupied. _She didn't have time for her baby sister. Charlotte stiffened on the porch. The good, soft part of her heart that was decreasing every day was happy for them, happy that Emily had found something real in her web of deception. But she needed comforting, too. She needed someone. She turned and sped down the porch, stopping to press her snowy lips to David's double-infinity sign engraved on the pure white porch.

Everyone had something to drown their sorrows while the snow fell: Emily had Nolan, Jack had Fauxmanda , and Conrad and Daniel had their crystal glasses of rich bourbon. Like father, like son. Vices like those ran in the family, because when Charlotte realized that she had no one, she drowned _her_ sorrows in her last bottle of pills. Rejected by Declan and feeling orphaned after her mother's death, she took Emily's secret to the grave, missing Conrad coming to shake her awake and proving that despite it all, he still loved her.

**Author's note: It might sound like the end, but trust me, it isn't! Stay on the lookout for a couple more chapters. :) **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The blond pair got the call well after midnight. She was wrapped tightly in his arms, their kiss slowly getting more forceful. Nolan's mind was still spinning, but he allowed himself to ignore it; all the questions about why, or how, or what about Jack, and let himself enjoy this moment the two shared. He'd just run his fingers through her soft hair when the loud vibrations of a cell phone interrupted them. If it was his, he'd curse himself the rest of the night, wishing he'd left it on silent or better yet, turned the damn thing off. But it was Emily's. She broke the kiss and slowly pulled away, her eyes bright despite the red encircling them. She grabbed the phone off the table and answered, keeping her other hand intertwined with his. Nolan was still recovering from their kiss, barely able to focus on her end of the conversation. She hung up and turned to him, fresh tears burning in her eyes, her voice unsure and laced with guilt.

"Ems, what's wrong?" His concerned tone was only making her pain worse.

"That was Daniel." A scowl flashed on Nolan's face. He had no right to be jealous, he supposed, but that didn't stop him. "It's-it's Charlotte. She overdosed on pills, she's in the hospital." He was up off the couch before she'd even finished her sentence, snatching their coats, and wrapping her in hers. Nolan drove in silence, Emily's face pressed against the passenger window.

"It's not your fault." He whispered softly. She shook her head; staining the glass with salty tears. He reached out and touched her arm. "She's going to be ok, I promise." It wouldn't be the first promise he'd broken.

By the time they arrived at the hospital, the news had already been delivered: Charlotte wouldn't recover. Conrad was shouting into a cell phone, clearly in the anger stage of grief, while Daniel paced back and forth in front of his sister's room in ICU, Ashley desperately trying to comfort him. He glanced up to see his ex-fiancee with Nolan, the blond billionaire's arm wrapped securely around her shoulders. His eyes narrowed into slits. His focus on anything but the death of his sister angered Emily, justifying her vengeance even more. She steeled herself and walked up to Daniel, stiffly wrapping him in her arms. She could feel Ashley's icy glare boring into her skull.

"I'm so sorry, Daniel. Did you…did you find her?" He shook his head, forgetting about Jack and now Nolan, about the pain she'd caused with their breakup.

"My dad came and got me, already calling 911 and just…panicking." She nodded understandingly. She hadn't missed the way Ashley's shirt was slipping off her shoulder, her bra only hooked on two of its hooks, and how Daniel's suit jacket was wrinkled from what looked like hands that were grabbing too tightly. Jealousy rose within her, but not for the reason people would assume. She wanted to be the one to comfort him, to change him, to bring him out of the depths of his family's deceit. The only thing Ashley was doing was pulling him further in. His choked voice snapped her back to the situation. "My dad said the TV was on in Charlotte's room, she must have just heard about…my mom. Do you know?" He looked up at her, tears streaming down his face. She nodded, and hugged him again, letting him cry into her designer coat. Over his shoulder she looked at Nolan, her eyes flitting to Ashley. He nodded and stepped quietly down the hall, pausing to take Ashley with him. The man could be rather convincing with a few words. In any case, he was glad to be away from Emily and Daniel. He may know the depth of his best friend's distrust of her ex-fiancé, but he still couldn't watch her with him. The man made Nolan sick, especially after his loyalty to his father when he found out the truth about David Clarke.

Emily stood with Daniel, stroking his back as they peered into Charlotte's room. She choked back tears at the sight of her baby sister so pale, her face emaciated, hooked up to IVs and a heart monitor. She saw the flat green line and suppressed a gasp. She wondered if this was how their father had looked, if Nolan had had to see him the way she was seeing Charlotte now. She didn't know how she could have handled that.

"Grayson family?" Charlotte's ER doctor called. Ashley quickly slunk away from Nolan and joined her ex-best friend, linking her arm with Daniel's. "I wanted to tell you how sorry I am for your loss. Charlotte's body will be released tomorrow, into the custody of her father." He nodded towards Conrad. Emily's eyes flashed with anger as they met Nolan's, knowing that he shared the same thought. Charlotte _should_ be released into the custody of her father, her _real _father, because she should have had a chance to know him. He should still be alive. Conrad didn't deserve her. As if on cue, the Grayson patriarch slipped quietly passed Emily to shake the doctor's hand and then walk into the hospital room. Emily watched him stroke his daughter's hair, whispering to her. Through her rage and pain, the blonde woman spared him a few precious seconds of her sympathy; the man had lost his wife, mistress, company, and daughter in less than 24 hours. But seeing as how most of that was her fault, it did absolutely nothing to change the course that Emily had put herself on. She watched him until her eyes grew weary. Conrad was the last to leave, long after Nolan had taken Emily home and gently laid her down on her bed, covering her exhausted form with a blanket.

It was safe to say that Nolan Ross did not sleep well that night. The man tossed and turned in his king-sized bed for hours, twisting his deep mauve sheets into a tangle around his long legs. There was plenty to keep him awake: Emily's mother, Victoria and Charlotte's deaths, and that kiss…he shook his head vigorously, trying to erase that last one. He didn't regret it, not one bit. In fact, if he were being honest with himself, he'd replayed that single moment in his head about a million times during his sleepless night. But no, too much had happened. His friend was in too much pain. He knew they couldn't talk about or continue on the path that kiss may have carved for them. They had to turn their attention back to the infinity box, to Emily's revenge, back to the life she had set for herself.

That was why he wasn't surprised when she showed up at his house at 6 A.M. And not only in his house; she had cracked his top-notch security system and made her way to his bedroom, where he sat on his perfectly creased bed, laptop rested on his thighs. She took in the sight of him, with his hair messed and eyes red from lack of sleep.

"Morning, sunshine," He said softly. She missed the sarcasm that would have laced that comment last summer.

"Morning," She whispered quietly, suddenly shy. She glanced at her left ring finger to twist the diamond as a nervous habit, but paused when she realized it wasn't there. Because she and Daniel had broken up. Because she'd kissed Jack. But then Amanda had come back, pregnant. But then she'd kissed Nolan. Her mind started spinning with recent events in her life as she walked into the man's bedroom and sat beside him, staring at the laptop. He tried to close it but wasn't quick enough. "Are you watching the video?" Her tone was too loud, too high to be casual. "Let me see that! Nolan, you can't watch it without me. I have to know, more than anyone!" He gripped her elbow slowly, as she realized her heart was racing. She was too on edge, too shaken up to be Emily Thorne at the moment. He had to be her rock, her stability now.

"Ems…relax, please, ok?" She nodded complacently. "I just wanted to scan it with my Nolcorp software, see if I missed anything." She leaned in closer as the scan completed, returning his screen to the paused video. She stared at the back of the white-haired man's head, replaying her last encounter with him, unconsciously running her tongue over her cut lip. Nolan tried not to stare at the movement of her lips, a shiver running down his spine. Suddenly, a realization began to dawn on Emily.

"You must have gotten that from your mother." She whispered. He turned to her with a puzzled face.

"What?" She ignored him, her mind needing to work out the theory before she could explain it. Nolan waited, watching her face tense as her brain calculated. The woman was brilliant, determined, and deceptive. He loved watching her work and being a part of that work.

"Nolan, he knew. The white-haired man knew about my mother." He resisted the urge to snort sarcastically, but couldn't lay off the comment.

"Thank you, o brilliant fortune teller." At her sour reaction, he added, "Ems, he's in the video. Obviously he knew, Victoria told him." The woman shook her head, gripping his hands urgently.

"No, no, I mean…I think he tried to tell me. He said, 'You're a hell of a fighter. You must have gotten that from your mother.' It was such a weird thing to say, like he was _taunting_ me." Her teeth grit at the idea. "I thought he was just…mocking my father, calling him weak. And helpless." Nolan's face twisted into a scowl. The white-haired man was not his favorite person in the world anyway, but his insult of David strengthened Nolan's hatred.

"Ems, you think he was trying to tell you the truth? Why would he do that?" She shook her head.

"I have absolutely no idea. But we have to find out. We have to track him down again." His eyes widened in shock.

"You want to go face to face _again_ with the man who did _this_?" He pointed at their beat-up faces, scars that wouldn't heal for a couple more weeks at least.

"Yes! Nolan, he knows and he was mocking me. Or trying to tell me. Either way, I can't let that go. I have to find him."

"For another reason, too…" Nolan muttered.

"What?" He paused, then turned to face her dead on.

"Ems, think about it. That plane Victoria was on had enough witnesses and information to destroy the white-haired man and his whole organization. He got desperate." He didn't need to say any more. She had considered the possibility late last night, during a fretful sleep of her own.

"It wouldn't be the first time." She murmured bitterly. "He said he was leaving for the airport, I guess we know why." He nodded. "See, that's why we have to find him!"

"Emily. You just found out that Charlotte's dead, your mother's alive, and Victoria and all her evidence exploded in a plane crash. And now you're going to track down the man whom you nearly killed 2 days ago?" His voice was incredulous, his tone clearly indicating that in his mind it was a stupid idea.

"Yes. Yes, I will do it. And I will do it alone if you won't come with me." She snapped harshly and stood from the bed. He sighed, glancing up at her determined face. He hated her in that moment. Hated that she preyed upon his weakness for her, hating it because he knew she had those same feelings, which she'd exposed last night with their kiss. But like all the other times she'd looked at him with contempt and pushed him away, he came back with a resigned,

"Fine, Ems. I'll help you." She turned, a soft but knowing smile playing on her lips.

"Of course. You promised me as much last night." He raised a teasing eyebrow.

"You want to talk about last night?" She stepped back into the room, her determination and control returned. She was close enough for him to feel her steady breath on his face. She leaned closer, and for a moment he allowed himself to imagine it would happen for the second time. He could already taste her lips and feel her warmth enveloping him. But her reaction was pure Emily Thorne, not at all the woman from last night.

"No." She said, voice cold. Death, pain, weakness, shock; last night had been a flood of emotions she'd rather not revisit until she'd taken care of business. He smiled, relishing the strength in her voice and her stance. Her demeanor softened enough to allow him to take her arm and lead her back to the computer to start their research.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Emily Thorne was feeling like her old self again: controlled, calm, and deadly. That last part was the facet of her personality that caused her to pull the chains tighter around the white-haired man's arms, shackling him to the wall. Her nose was covered in dried blood, and she'd suffered nasty gashes on her forehead and left cheek. She was pretty sure at least one bone in her arm was broken, but she shrugged it off; a decade of abuse and neglect had taught her to ignore pain. It had been a fair fight, with the white-haired man escaping death (again), but Emily planned to change that soon. She leaned down and gripped his hair tight, yanking his head up and lowering her lips to his ear. Her voice was menacing as she whispered,

"How does it feel to be on the other side of the chains?" before slamming his head back against the steel wall in his own private torture chamber.

Tucked comfortably two blocks away in a white van, a shiver ran down Nolan's spine at the sound of her voice: so cruel, so calculating. It shouldn't have, but it sent a jolt of arousal through his body. Emily hadn't allowed him anywhere near the white-haired man, fearing his safety. He'd fought her tooth and nail, insisting on it in case things didn't go according to plan, but eventually he gave in, running his fingers over the gashes on his face from his last encounter with the domestic terrorist. His eyes were glued intently to the computer screen; monitoring the cameras he'd planted throughout the house when the white-haired man wasn't home. He couldn't speak to her, a fact that irked Nolan, since there was no wire or bluetooth that he had been able to give her that would be invisible from the paranoid white-haired man. But he could hear what was going on from the cameras. The idea of her going in essentially alone made Nolan panic; he was on red alert the entire time in the van.

"Now that you're being compliant-" she glared coldly at the back of the man's head. "Why don't we start with some easy questions." He didn't respond. "What did Victoria tell you about my mother, Kara Wilkins?" Again the man remained silent. Emily cocked the gun in her hand and pressed the barrel against the white-haired man's head. He didn't break a sweat. "Let me ask you again. What do you know about my mother and her whereabouts?" He looked up at her with a mocking, spiteful gaze.

"Little Clarke, you don't want to know." She slammed the gun sideways into his head, her face twisting with pure anger as he let out a short cry of pain. Breathing hard, he raised his head again, staring straight ahead.

"It's sweet of you to want to protect my feelings, really. But pointless, since I have the video of you and Victoria and Conrad from all those years ago, when she told you the truth." She watched with a sick sort of pleasure as his eyebrows raised in surprise. "That's right. So your little temper tantrum with the plane was futile, sorry to say. I have all the evidence with me, it's still there. I don't need Victoria. Whether I kill you now or not, your life is over." It was satisfying, having that kind of control and power of someone else's life, when she had been repressed her entire childhood as a subordinate just because of her father's alleged crimes. "Now, are you going to tell me or am I going to have to shoot you?" He wheezed in a breath.

"Your mother...is a rotten little bitch. She's not innocent, Amanda. No, not like your father." Emily's mind rewound to a happier time. Not just with her father, but with her mother. The five years they were able to spend together were laden with visits to the park and the beach, ice cream on a hot afternoon, balloon animals at the zoo. She grew up with a wall-street father and socialite mother. She could have been Charlotte. The white-haired man continued talking. "We may have framed him, yes, but your mother is a horrible-"

"Shut up!" She shrieked, slamming the gun into his head once again. Her loss of control, slipping from tight voice to panic, scared Nolan in the van. She seemed flustered, but also raw.

"We couldn't do anything for her. She was pathetic, weak, and just nonsensically evil. Don't bother wasting your time with her, Amanda." She pressed the barrel of the gun to his head and said,

"I gave you your chance."

"Sure, go ahead. Kill me. But then you'll never know what happened to Mommy Dearest." She smiled cruelly.

"Yes, I will. Because I have access to every single one of the documents and videos and secrets that you keep trapped in this house. And rest assured, I will find them."

"Then why did you keep me alive this whole time?" He was stalling and she knew it. She shrugged in a cold, noncommittal way.

"For fun." Her fingers fell on the trigger, the tip of her nail shaking as it prepared to squeeze, when she heard a voice.

"Stop!" From behind one of the plastic curtains in his maze of a house, a figure with long waves stepped out. Nolan gasped, staring at the cameras in case he was hallucinating. Emily's finger froze on the trigger. She didn't want to believe it.

"M...Mom?" The word sounded unnatural, foreign, and too innocent coming from her lips. The blond woman didn't react, her eyes fixed intently on the white-haired man, whose own pair, blue as Nolan's, widened in shock.

"Kara? What the hell are you doing here? You said-"

"I know what I said, Henry." From his position in the truck, Nolan let out an amused snort. Henry? Such an innocent, old-white-guy sounding name for a felon, a terrorist, no less. He watched Emily's face, wanting to be in the room with her, wanting to be standing right next to her and hearing her breathing tense, seeing her emotions shift. But for now, he'd have to settle. Emily swallowed tightly, refusing to betray shock to the woman who'd left her. Her tone with her mother was even colder than the one she'd used with... _Henry._

"So you're here. Finally. Where have you been? Vacationing in the Bahamas? I bet it was easy with all of The Initiative's...funding." Nolan could see the betrayed girl that spoke those words. She was 18 again, fresh out Juvie and hating the world, scorn and sarcasm her tools against those who hurt her, along with her deadly physical rage.

"Amanda." Her voice was kind, like Emily remembered. Her appearance had changed, the bright eyes faded from stress, crow's feet and winkles marring her younger, perfect skin. Emily had heard her name spoken from her father's lips, Nolan's, and from the white-haired man's, but none made her knees tremble like hearing it from her mother. The woman was dead. She was supposed to be dead, but no. She stood facing her daughter after over 20 years. Her expression was soft, apologetic. Emily Thorne has been known to hold grudges.

"Emily. You, _mother,_ may call me Emily." It was unsettling to Nolan how much her haughty tone reminded him of Victoria. Kara ignored her daughter's wishes, overcome with emotions from seeing her daughter, the one she'd pretended didn't exist. It had been the easiest way to deal with things. But now the truth was being thrown in her face; she was forced to confront it.

"Amanda. God, you are so beautiful. I always knew you would be." She smiled, tears brimming in the corners of her eyes. If Emily felt them stinging her eyes too, she kept it will hidden. Kara's expression turned somber. "I know, sweetie. I know how much you must hate me. And I know you want an explanation. But...how did you find out? You don't look surprised." At this, Emily grit her teeth, nuzzling the barrel of the gun she held deeper against the white-haired man's neck.

"Your _pal _here was kind enough to leave evidence behind with Conrad Grayson. An entire hard drive laden with information. So whatever scheme you're cooking is futile." Kara shook her head, seeming all the more like a kind, motherly type. She took a step towards her daughter, who tightened her grip on the gun, clutching the white-haired man's neck, her nails digging venomously into his skin. Kara held up her hands innocently.

"Henry told me what you've been doing. Destroying everyone who helped frame your father. You have to understand, Amanda. You and I? We've been working for the same thing." Emily refused to let her surprise show. "Conrad and Grayson Global are on their way to the fiery pits of hell where they belong. And it's because of you. And me."

"Excuse me?" She found herself almost offended. Her efforts had been hers, not her mothers. She and of course, Nolan, had accomplished the destruction of the Graysons together. The woman still had her pride. Moreover, if Kara knew the white-haired man, and it seemed like she was working with him, then she and her daughter were definitely not on the same side. The woman sighed.

"You see, Amanda, I joined the Initiative well after your father was...framed." She gave a serene smile. "David. He was good to you, I know. I checked up on you from time to time. He never told you." Emily's stance strengthened, loyalty to her father winning out. Her mother shook her head. "Don't blame him. I wanted to keep you safe. The SEC wanted me to help an undercover division of theirs bring down Grayson Global for a multitude of crimes. Ever since Conrad took over, the company's been dirty. And that was the truth, at the time. After I found out what that nasty son-of-a-bitch had done to him, I joined the Inititave." Emily sadly shook her head.

"You are exactly what your bff Henry over here said. You worked with the Intitiave, the people who brought down the plane in the first place!" Her tone was angry, defiant. Kara stepped close enough to grip her daughter's arm, who flinched away from her touch.

"No. No, Amanda! Yes, the organization brought down the plane. But I wasn't a part of it then. Conrad, and Conrad alone, was supposed to take the fall. Never was your father and my _husband_ supposed to be a part of this." Emily shook her head again, but Amanda accepted the truth. There was belief and loyalty behind her mother's eyes. Acceptance. Kara could see it in her daughter's eyes, knew she believed her. But still Emily gripped the gun, still the weapon remained pressed into the white-haired man's flesh.

"But what about 8 years ago? What happened then? Your precious _Henry _murdered my father, David Clarke. Your husband. What about that, mom?" The last part came out easier than Emily had expected, as if she were an angst-ridden teenager accusing her mother of a lie. It made her uneasy that her guard cracked so quickly in her mother's presence. Kara averted both her daughter's and the white-haired man's eyes.

"I was...shall we say, detained, while that act was being carried out. I didn't know. And when I did, I vowed vengeance, same as you, Amanda." Her mother's admission shocked her enough for her to soften.

"They locked you up? They kept you prisoner?" Kara didn't respond. She didn't have to.

"I...so what did you?" Her question was genuinely curious, childlike in its utterance.

"I began working from the inside out. Waiting, finding the perfect time to bring Conrad and Henry down. Conrad you took care of for me, sweetheart. I'm proud of you." Her eyes glistened with tears. Emily took a step towards her until she heard the white-haired man's voice.

"Don't trust her, Amanda. She's sick. Beyond belief." Emily's anger returned and she punched him hard across the jaw.

"I thought I made it clear that your opinions should be kept to yourself. At least if you value your pathetic life." _The similarity is uncanny_, Henry thought, his frozen eyes darting between mother and daughter.

"Amanda." Her mother said.

"Why didn't you let me kill him? You could have told me all this after I killed him, after I had gotten justice for David. Why didn't you let me do that?" Doubt and suspicion spread throughout her body. Her mother's jaw tightened.

"Because this is my fight. I have been working for this for years, I have suffered for this. You got Conrad and his bitch of a wife, let me have Henry." But Emily refused to give up her gun. "I understand. I know you can't possibly trust me." She reached for her hip, where a gun sat in its holster, jutting out against her thin frame. Amanda didn't protest when Kara pulled out the weapon and cocked it, aiming straight for the white-haired man. Emily still kept her weapon on him. He was double-teamed. Kara took a deep breath, positioning herself, as Emily checked the chains just for precaution.

From a bird's eye view because of the cameras, Nolan could see it better than Emily. He could understand what was about to happen. Kara's aim was a bit off from the white-haired man's forehead, which would have been execution style. Just slightly off. But it was enough.

"Emily! Emily, pull the trigger!" he shouted repeatedly, but he knew it wasn't possible for her to hear him. He slammed the laptop shut and flew from the van, disregarding the noise he was making as he sped straight for the house, two blocks away. His long limbs carried him quickly, but not quickly enough.

Kara fired twice. Two bullets, one at each of the white-haired man's restraints. He was up, he was free. Emily was only shocked for an instant, used to betrayal. But she had been conned. She had fallen for her mother's truth and her tears and her apologetic face, and that's what made her hesitate enough for the man to twist the gun from her hand and run to Kara, wrapping his thick arms around her neck, the gun positioned against her head. Emily should want her dead. She had abandoned her, come back, lied to her, and freed the man who killed her father. But this woman was her _mother._ She wasn't Victoria, or Conrad, or anyone else Emily had taught herself to hate. This was the woman who braided her hair for Sunday church services. She froze in place, her hand sliding toward her boot. The white-haired man caught the movement.

"I told you not to trust her, Amanda."

"And why should I trust you?" he shook his head.

"I never said you should. All of us here are devils." He pulled the trigger as a strangled cry escaped Emily's mouth, her hand reaching the .45 in her boot too late. She fired straight for the man's heart, and he fell to the ground. She rushed to her mother, who was taking her last breath. With it, she clutched her daughter's hand and whispered,

"I love you. And I loved David. Everything I told you was true."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

**Hi my fellow Revengers! I know this fic has been neglected for waaayyy too long and I'm so sorry! The idea I had in mind and wrote turned out to be eerily similar to the show. I was contemplating whether or not to post it for the longest time and then well, life got in the way. But I'm back with this, admittedly short, chapter and I hope you guys have stuck around to find out where this goes because I rather like it. As always, thanks for your continued support, I appreciate it infinity times infinity. :) **

Nolan found her on the floor, with blood spattered on the walls, her body, coating her hands. She was frozen for what felt like eons, staring at the lifeless bodies of Henry and Kara. Members of the Initiative. A terrorist and her mother. Tears didn't leave her eyes, didn't stain her cheek, even when she felt his warm hands on her shoulders.

"She wasn't innocent." Emily said plainly.

"She was your mother," came his simple reply. He led her out of the house, leaving the crime scene untouched.

Two hours later, she lay on his couch, like the morning after their last encounter with the white-haired man, except this time, he offered Tylenol instead of champagne. Dry-swallowing the pill, she sat up, clutching his hands, her eyes half open.

"We have to cover our tracks." Her voice was all business. He sighed, but could see the rawness of her face, her eyes, the aches in her body and decided to use his old humor instead of a lengthy speech on human emotion.

"Of course. You couldn't be spending time with me just because you enjoyed my company, could you?" He teased. She elbowed him in the ribs, but it was half-hearted. She was tired, so tired, and it hurt. Her body, her heart, her mind were all indescribably fatigued. She looked up at him somberly, and he reassuringly laced his fingers with hers.

"Don't worry, it's all taken care of." She nodded, accepting his help and his hands. Her lips pursed in concentration.

"She said that...everything she told me was the truth. That she really wasn't a bad...person. Was she?" She looked up at him innocently, like a child hoping for just a single grain of truth. He wished he could give it to her.

"She wasn't a...bad person, no. She was your mother, and she loved you." She tightly shook her head.

"But it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter because, look at what she did! And I trusted her. Just for a few minutes, because I thought I could." He squeezed her hands.

"You trust me." It was a statement, something he no longer questioned. "And that certainly took a while." The comment coaxed a small smile, enough for him to finish his sentence without fear of her falling apart. "I think you can give yourself one freebie with your mom." A sigh escaped her lips.

"Can...can I stay here? Just for tonight, I don't think I can go back to that house."

"Yeah, of-of course, Ems. Yes." He led her into the guest bedroom and turned out the light, pausing to study her silhouette in the dark. He was no pervert and that was the furthest thing from his mind, but all the same he liked her in the dark, hidden in her best element.

"Nolan?" she called as he started out of the doorway. He turned slowly.

"Hmm?" She walked up to him and before he knew it, he felt her soft lips on his. It was different this time, gentler, and Nolan barely reached up a hand to smooth the hair out of her face as they kissed. She pulled back, his hand still warm on her face.

"Thank you." His smile was radiant, reaching his eyes as he backed away.

"Goodnight, Ems."

…

Emily squirmed under the sheets all night, restless. She had never killed someone before, and the realization was hitting her harder with each passing hour of insomnia. _The white-haired man killed my father, and then he killed my mother right in front of me, he didn't deserve to live,_ she rationalized. The fact that she had to justify it at all made her angry enough. What had Takeda said? Had she learned nothing? She had gotten what she wanted from the white-haired man, and so taken her vengeance on him, just as she'd set out to do. She imagined telling Nolan that in the morning, that her murder was justified. She pictured the disappointed look his face would no doubt bear, the question burning in his eyes. _What would David have said? _Nolan rarely questioned her methods out loud anymore, knowing it to be a losing battle, but (as she believed) after her actions had caused Charlotte's death, she had scaled back on her own, needing him as a confidante, not a conscience.

By 3 am, she'd had enough. A war of emotions was raging inside Emily, and she found herself hating her own weak mind for it. _Guilt is reserved for those who've done wrong, _she thought._ And I haven't. I did what I set out to do. _She scrambled out of bed and dressed in what she remembered Nolan referring to as a "Batmanda" suit: all black, tight and comfortable, perfect for the long journey she was about to make. The thought wormed its way to her face, expressing itself in a smile before she forced it down. _Nolan. _She seethed. The way he would look at her if she told him she didn't want to feel guilt, the way he'd shake his head and refuse to get involved, but her gut would tighten every time she looked at him, wondering if he thought less of her, which of course, he wouldn't. He would only want to help her, but even that she couldn't handle right now. She snuck into the cold kitchen, grabbing a pen and leaving her mark on the note pad in the kitchen, then slowly slipping it on the nightstand in his bedroom.

Nolan woke up to a cold house and a vanished Emily. Worry was the first emotion that struck him, but after checking the security footage, it had dissipated to make room for betrayal. His eyes fell on the note; he'd been staring at it for a good 20 minutes, contemplating. He didn't want an explanation. He didn't want excuses or reasons. He wanted _her_, his partner and his friend. Nolan would help her in any way he could, but not if she wouldn't let him. Sighing, he pulled himself out of bed and over to the nightstand, opening the folded paper with trembling fingers.

_I'm sorry, but I can't get involved with you, not like that. _

_I have to go take down the Initiative._

_I'm moving to Japan. _

Any of those options would have been better, he thought, than what he found when he opened it: her symbol staring ambiguously up at him, daring him to find fault with its perfect loops and dark stain on the paper.

_Infinity times infinity._ He thought, too hurt to be amused as he recalled the beautiful ink on the inside of her right wrist; the mark of her father's last gift to her. He wondered if it would be her last as he folded the note and slipped it into his pocket.

* * *

**So I hope you guys have enjoyed this story so far. There is more, I promise. I hate that I've kept you all waiting and without notice so I've decided to give it to you: My life has been waayyy too busy lately to give his fic the proper attention it deserves. I want to do the show and my ideas and you guys (readers, hopefully fans) justice with the quality and consistency of writing. So yes, this story does have more, but I want to post this as a note of hiatus. I'm not sure for how long, but probably until around late March, early April. (It might even push to summer, it all depends on how life is at that point) i know it's a hugely long time and I don't want to disappoint anyone too much (if there are even fans out there left to disappoint lol) but I do want to make sure the writing in this turns out the best possible way. In the meantime, I hope you guys enjoy the other stories I've managed to get up here and I hope at least some of you will stick around to see how this turns out next year! Thanks for your readership, (like viewership, haha), reviews (can't even describe the little bubble of joy in my heart whenever I see a new review!) and above all, your patience. Happy Holidays everyone!**


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